BERLIN (AP) — Belgium’s prime minister traveled to neighboring Germany for a concert led by an Israeli conductor whose appearance was canceled by a Belgian festival, a gesture that added to strong criticism of the decision.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz thanked Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in a social media post Sunday for “his strong signal of solidarity” after he attended the concert given in Essen Saturday evening by the Munich Philharmonic and conducted by Lahav Shani, who is due to become the orchestra’s chief conductor next year. Shani is also music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and currently chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.
On Wednesday, the Flanders Festival Ghent said it was canceling a concert by the Munich Philharmonic under Shani scheduled for Sept. 18. It said in a statement that Shani “has spoken out in favor of peace and reconciliation several times in the past, but in the light of his role as the chief conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, we are unable to provide sufficient clarity about his attitude to the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv.”
Israel vehemently denies that it is committing genocide in Gaza, but has faced increasing isolation over its actions, including in the cultural sector.
